Having visited a few of the local hot dog restaurants, the Bethel Hot Dog Palace still remains my favorite. The reason it does so is for one important reason: the hotdogs aren't grilled or boiled, they're fried. They have a great crunch when you bite them. The flavor is slightly different from a "normally" cooked dog but you certainly know it's a hot dog.

My favorite is just the good old-fashioned chili dog. The chili has a heat that sneaks up on you but isn't overpowering at all; it's basically all loose meat, which I also really enjoy. I've tried it with cheese as well but honestly, I couldn't taste the cheese. The buns are toasted slightly so they have a nice texture. The chili is a little bit oily so a little bit gets absorbed into the bun. The dogs are footlongs, so two chili dogs are more than enough for me without any sides (fries or onion rings).

Scorecard

"The Texas Burger is named because it includes a layer of all-beef chili below the meat. Atop that are sauteed onions and strips of bacon. It is a slithery mess that leaves the bun in tatters. I would put it on the honor roll of kill-or-cure gastronomy -- the kind of thing that sounds like a great idea -- and tastes terrific -- at 3am when the bars close. Cold sober in broad daylight, well, that's another story."
Michael Stern

"Texas Dog: a voluptuous foot-long wiener topped with a mantle of melted cheese, a spill of peppery chili, lots of bacon, and raw onions. The bun is toasted and in comparison to its ingredients tastes almost sweet. This is not a sophisticated frank, but when the Tube Steak Siren calls, it fills the bill."
Michael Stern

"The dining area is an enclosed porch up front. To the left in back is an open patio for nice-weather meals."
Michael Stern

"While the Bethel Hot Dog Palace won't likely be winning epicurean awards for haute cuisine, it does get the bargain-hunter's prize for cheap eats."
Michael Stern